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Long Island Students Dream Big to Comfort Kids at NYU Winthrop Hospital

Written by Long Island News & PR  |  13. April 2018

Dix Hills, NY - April 13, 2018 - There are pajama parties, and then there was the pajama party to top all on Long Island. All nine schools in the Half Hollow Hills School District in Dix Hills hosted a pajama day, with students from elementary up through high school encouraged to arrive for classes wearing their favorite PJs. What made this fun day even more special was the reason behind the sleepwear: two of the schools’ eighth graders had previously received so much satisfaction from raising gift card donations to benefit pediatric patients that they wanted to do even more. So every student who wore PJs to the Half Hollow Hills District’s pajama day was encouraged to also bring with them a new pair to donate to the Children’s Medical Center at NYU Winthrop Hospital. Their efforts were remarkable – and more than 1,650 pairs of pajamas were collected! The PJs were personally delivered to the Hospital yesterday by five students who were, naturally, dressed in pajamas, and they were joined by the district’s superintendent – who chose not to wear pajamas.
 
“After our success with a gift-card drive for pediatric patients, our superintendent challenged us to think about what we could do next, so we were inspired to dream even bigger,” said Ashley Kalb, who together with fellow eighth grader Morgan Mandel orchestrated the gift cards as well as the pajama donations.  Added Morgan, “We hope that our pajama gifts put smiles on the faces of kids in the hospital. What’s also great about the drive is that it taught a lot of students that giving can be an awful lot of fun.”
 
Also spearheading the pajama drive were the siblings of Morgan and Ashley: Matthew Mandel and Hayley Kalb, both in grade 10, and Marissa Mandel, grade six. The District’s Central Office also contributed to the drive.
 
“We encourage and fully support our students in taking creative approaches to community and charitable work,” said Dr. Patrick Harrigan, Superintendent of Half Hollow Hills School District. “These initiatives help develop leadership and well-rounded young adults, while benefitting good causes.”
 
Young patients who arrive at NYU Winthrop Hospital often do so without overnight bags in tow, since their arrival may be due to an unplanned event such as a trip to the Emergency Room. Having 1,650 pairs of youth pajamas, for all shapes and sizes, is just what the doctor ordered for a good night’s sleep at NYU Winthrop. The pajamas were accepted by Leonard Krilov, MD, Chairman of Pediatrics at NYU Winthrop, together with representatives from the Hospital’s Child Life Program, which is dedicated to helping children understand and cope with the hospital experience. Certified Child Life Specialists utilize therapeutic play, arts and crafts, entertainment and other diversions to ensure that the hospital experience is as stress-free as possible for children and their families. Now, thanks to the Half Hollow Hills School District, children will be gifted with a pair of cozy pajamas to further add to their comfort.
 
“The Department of Pediatrics at NYU Winthrop is most appreciative of the students’ efforts to think beyond themselves and give back to our patients in such a special way,” said Dr. Krilov. “Families are often going through a trying time when they’re in the Hospital, and this unique gesture is sure to bring comfort.”
 
For more information about the Child Life Program at NYU Winthrop, visit www.nyuwinthrop.org or call 1-866-WINTHROP.
 
About NYU Winthrop Hospital
Founded in 1896 by a group of local physicians and concerned citizens, Long Island’s first voluntary hospital is a 591-bed university-affiliated medical center and ACS Level 1 Trauma Center offering a full scope of inpatient and outpatient programs and services to address every stage of life. Ever changing and growing with the diverse community it serves, NYU Winthrop Hospital is, in many ways, a unique institution, simultaneously large and small, regional as well as local. NYU Winthrop successfully blends the progressive philosophy, sophistication and advances of a teaching and research institution with a personal approach to patient care – an approach that has become the cornerstone of our organization.
 
About Half Hollow Hills
An education-oriented community with high academic expectations, the Half Hollow Hills Central School District is located in a residential area of 50,000 people in the central part of Long Island, approximately 40 miles from New York City. Providing for the education of more than 8,000 students, the school district has five elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. Half Hollow Hills High Schools are fully accredited by the New York State Department of Education and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The District is committed to providing students opportunities to excel in academics, athletics and the arts.
 

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